


Rebellion

by Philosophizes



Series: Bad Decisions Series Backstory Fics [20]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Adults, Children, Gen, Humans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-26 16:18:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philosophizes/pseuds/Philosophizes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cuba pays a surprise visit to his son, complete with unwanted advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rebellion

Zacarías Echemendia shouldered his rifle, took a slow, deep, silent breath, told himself that _I am completely able to shoot a man, I’ve done it before_ and whirled out from behind the tree he was using as cover during his watch and started pulling the trigger-  
  
“Interesting way to greet your old man.”  
  
Zacarías lowered his rifle immediately and gave the slightly-overweight man a pained expression that was half-exasperation, half-resignation.  
  
“ _Papá!_ ” he hissed. “I almost _shot_ you! What the _hell_ are you doing here?”  
  
Cuba shrugged and took another puff off the cigar he was holding.  
  
“Checking in on you. How’s the resistance going? You boys eating enough? Digging your latrines away from your campsite?”  
  
“ _Papá!_ ”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You _know_ I can’t tell you! Now go away before someone else comes by and you really _do_ get shot!”  
  
“Nah. I’ll stay here and keep talking to my little _Tigre_. Do you have coolers out here? I could bring you ice cream. Can’t have any of you getting heatstroke.”  
  
“ _Papá_ , I don’t think you’re taking this seriously.”  
  
His father pulled his cigar out of his mouth and frowned at him.  
  
“Of _course_ I’m taking this seriously. That’s why I’m out here checking up on you boys. This could mean a change of government for me.”  
  
“ _P_ -”  
  
“No talking,” Cuba said, waving his still-lit cigar under his son’s nose.  
  
As he coughed, unused to the acrid smoke, the Nation continued speaking.  
  
“And I’m your father, anyway. I’ve got a responsibility to check up on you and help you and out, and by God I’m going to do it. Are you _sure_ there’s nothing you need?”  
  
“I _need_ you to go away,” Zacarías wheezed. “I don’t want to have to explain myself if anyone shows up and I don’t want you getting shot.”  
  
“I’m more worried about _you_ getting shot,” he replied. “I’ll get up from that, you won’t.”  
  
His son tried looking stubborn but was a bit foiled by the way his eyes were watering slightly. He really didn’t like cigars.  
  
“Okay, fine, fine,” Cuba said. “I’ll go. But I’m giving you some advice first, and you’d better listen to it.”

“All _right, Papá_ ,” Zacarías sighed. “ _Quickly_.”  
  
“One,” Cuba said, holding a finger up. “No back-talk. I raised you better than that. Two,”  
  
Another finger.  
  
“Don’t let the guy who’s in charge of this thing do something stupid like try and get himself made head of state. I’m not going to forgive you boys if you pull a military coup on me. I’ve had enough of dictators and tyrants. Three; make sure your friends over in that camp back there know that too. Ideology gets in your head like nothing else and it can mess up your brain. Bad. Four; I expect you boys in Havana within a year, full support from the people.”  
  
“That’s not advice-”  
  
“Not done yet. Five; get yourselves some insect netting. Don’t want you catching malaria or something.”  
  
“ _Papá_ , I’m vaccinated for th-”  
  
“Not _done, Tigre. Mi Dios_ , you’d think I’d raised you in a hole! Six, communism is completely overrated, especially now that the Soviet Union’s fallen apart. Vietnam’s a nice girl, but North Korea just creeps me out. Her brother’s weird, too. I want _democratic elections_. Seven-”  
  
He stopped, and looked at his hands. He’d run out of fingers to hold up without dropping his cigar.  
  
“America’s overrated too,” Cuba declared, abandoning his finger-counting system. “But I already taught you that. There’s more, but I think you got the idea-”  
  
“Okay, _okay!_ ” Zacarías whispered frantically. His internal clock was telling him it was time for a shift change soon. “ _Papá_ , you need to go _now_. And I’ll have to get everybody to move camp, since you know where we are! Can’t you let us stay in one place for a week, just _once?_ ”  
  
His father chuckled and ruffled his hair.  
  
“Nah, what if something happens and I’m not here? And you don’t have to keep moving, _I’m_ not going to tell anyone-”  
  
“ _Papá_ , it’s the _principle_ of thing! We have to stay _safe!_ ”  
  
“Fine, _fine,_ ” he replied, giving in. He put his cigar out and started walking off into the wet gloom. “Be waiting for you boys in Havana. See you ‘round.”  
  
Cuba waited until the foliage and night sounds covered up all trace of the rebel camp and stopped.  
  
“Stay safe, Zacarías,” his father sighed.

**Author's Note:**

> Papá (Spanish): Dad  
> Tigre (Spanish): Tiger  
> Mi Dios (Spanish): My God


End file.
